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Steps for

safe food in the summertime

Cooperative Extension Service offers tips for food safety

Over the July 4 holiday weekend, many Fulton County residents will celebrate

with cookouts and picnics. The Cooperative Extension Service urges cooks

to declare their independence from salmonella and other food-borne bacteria

with safe cooking and food storage practices.

Warm weather makes it is especially important to take extra precautions

and practice safe food handling when preparing perishable foods such as meat,

poultry, seafood and egg products. The Fulton County Cooperative Extension

Service offers the following tips to keep food safe and reduce the risk of

food-borne illness:

-Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands: Always wash your hands with hot, soapy

water before and after handling food. The same applies to work surfaces and

utensils.

-Marinating Mandate: Marinate meats in the refrigerator, not on the

counter. Don't use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry

on cooked food. Or, bring used marinade to a boil before applying to cooked

food.

-Temperature Gauge: Use a food thermometer to insure that food reaches

a safe internal temperature. Food thermometers are inexpensive and can be

bought at most grocery and discount stores.

-Stay Away from that Same Old Plate: When taking foods off the grill,

do not put cooked food back on the same plate that previously held raw food.

Also, use separate cutting boards and utensils for preparing raw meat.

-Icebox Etiquette: Full coolers do a better job of staying cold, so

pack in plenty of extra ice or freezer packs to insure a constant cool temperature.

Keep the lid closed.

For more information, call the Fulton County Cooperative Extension Agency

at 404-762-4077 or the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Food Safety

Hotline at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.